


The Boy in the Forge

by thepurplewriter333



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Gobber - Freeform, HTTYD - Freeform, Hiccstrid - Freeform, Mildew - Freeform, Stoick - Freeform, astrid - Freeform, father/son bonding, hiccup - Freeform, hiccup hurt, hiccup!whump, rtte, smithcup, smithycup, toothless - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-18
Updated: 2017-10-21
Packaged: 2019-01-19 01:59:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12400776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thepurplewriter333/pseuds/thepurplewriter333
Summary: Set in RTTE. After returning from the Edge to take a well-deserved break in Berk, the riders plan to have a relaxing week- that is, all except Hiccup. With a new tail fin design for Toothless on his mind, he plans to work tirelessly in the forge until he completes it. But what happens when Mildew shows up with still ever-so hateful feelings towards the Dragon Conqueror?





	1. Chapter 1

After a bit- well,  _a lot_ \- of Stoick's insisting that Hiccup should take a break from guarding the Edge for at least a week, the Riders had returned to Berk to rest up. Unfortunately for Hiccup, he still didn't quite get the concept of 'resting.' In fact, over the past few days, he had become obsessed with making a new design for Toothless' tail fin.

"It'll make him fly smoother, faster, and much better at air acrobats," Hiccup had explained one night at the Edge to Astrid. "And that's good, since we need to up our game with Viggo still out there."

So as soon as the Riders arrived at Berk, it was no surprise that Hiccup's first stop was at the forge. Gobber was already there, hammering away at making a new sword, and he looked up in shock when Hiccup came in with Toothless trailing with him.

"Hey, Gobber," Hiccup greeted, sliding past the towering man. "How are you?"

"Hiccup?" Gobber gaped, lowering his hammer. He wiped off drips of sweat from his forehead, and blinked in confusion. "Shouldn't you be with your father, or with the other riders?"

Smiling, Hiccup patted Toothless on the head, and the dragon gave an approved rumble. "Nah. At least, not yet. I think I'm onto something big with Toothless's tail fin this time."

Gobber made a show of rolling his eyes, and set his stiff shoulders back. "Ah, I see. Working on another something for your dragon, eh?"

"Yep!" Hiccup maneuvered around some of Gobber's other inventions- all useless, but the older Viking didn't have the heart to throw them out-, and he arrived at his old workstation. Seeing it made Hiccup feel a lonely pang in the chest. He hadn't been here in years, and yet everything still looked the same.

There were old sketches of Toothless's tail fin hanging on the wall, each detail carefully marked into the parchment with such concentration. Even old crumples of paper Hiccup had forgotten to get rid of were still there. It was like he had never left. Touched that Gobber hadn't moved anything since his last visit, Hiccup smiled to himself.

"So," Gobber drawled, beginning to hammer again. He raised his voice over the steady pounding, "What are you up to this time, Hiccup? Just another tweak to the bending rod?"

Hiccup brushed aside some of his old papers, replacing them with a few news ones he was holding. "Not this time, Gobber," he announced, biting his lip as the inventive wheels in his mind started to turn. "I'm working on a completely new prototype for the tail. Toothless will fly much better and faster than before."

"Sounds interestin'," Gobber chimed, pounding with his hammer on the large sword that laid below him. "Does your father know about you staying here at the forge today? He did invite you back to Berk, after all, so I'd imagine he misses you."

Hiccup grimaced. "Y-yeah, of course I told him!" he lied, distracting himself by studying his papers a bit too much. "He's totally fine with it… oh, and Gobber, is it okay if I stay overnight here? I'm afraid I'll lose my ideas if I go to sleep…"

Toothless grumbled, swishing his tail around with anxiety. It was almost as if he was telling Hiccup he was going too far, and he wanted him to stop. Gobber even paused in the swinging of his hammer to send a pointed look at the boy. "Overnight? Hiccup, do you remember the last time you stayed overnight at the forge?"

Sighing, Hiccup looked up from his papers, not yet wanting to face the man. It was true- the last time Hiccup had stayed at the forge hadn't ended well. He had fallen asleep right where the still-burning furnace was, and if it wasn't for Toothless's quick thinking, Hiccup could have rolled right into the fire.

"It's not going to be like that, Gobber," Hiccup promised, waving him off. "I made sure to get plenty of rest at the Edge before I came here. Now, I'm rested up and ready to go." Another lie. He hadn't rested at all recently, what with Viggo's frequent attacks on wild dragons or the Edge itself.

Hiccup yearned for a good night's rest in his old home, but he felt that if he did, his inspiration would vanish. " _The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few,"_ his father had told him a few months back. If Hiccup completed Toothless's tail design, he'd get even more ahead of Viggo than he currently was. But if he slept, that'd ruin the whole purpose of Stoick's beliefs. And he hated disappointing his father.

"Eh, just don't over-do it," Gobber sighed, returning to hammer the sword on the table beneath him.

Hiccup smiled nervously, turning around. "Sure. Great! I'll get started." He looked over at Toothless with a hopeful glance. "See, bud? You'll fly much better in no time. All it'll take is a couple days work, and then you and me can-"

"A couple days?" Gobber interrupted, his eyes widening. "Hiccup, you just said through tonight!"

"Well…" Hiccup struggled to find an excuse, but nothing really came to mind. "I'll work on the tail fin for as long as I need to. All right?" He rolled up his sleeves- he had taken his armor off before coming inside, knowing that it'd just get in the way while he was working- and rubbed his hands together.

"Now, to begin."

* * *

The rest of the day went by in a blur for Hiccup. It had taken only a short while to get Toothless's tail measurements, and just a bit longer to locate the pieces of metal he needed.

Unfortunately, the task deemed itself to be harder than he had thought it'd be. First of all, Hiccup just couldn't seem to get the piece of metal for Toothless's fin to bend right. Of course, it was a tail fin, and it wasn't exactly supposed to  _bend_  that much _,_ but he wanted to master those tight turns that Toothless couldn't yet make.

And then there was Gobber. Halfway through Hiccup's forgery, he had started to sing catchy but monotonous viking songs, and every word of them made Hiccup want to flinch. It was too distracting for him to get anything at all done.

_Well, I've got my ax and I've got my mace_

_And I've got my wife with the ugly face_

_I'm a viking through and tttthhhhrrrrooooouuuuggghhh!_

Gobber laughed heartily as he finished the verse. He stopped pounding with his hammer a few seconds later, and inspected the sword he was working on. It was still a dull red from the last time he had dipped it in fire, and with all of Gobber's work, it seemed just as sturdy as Gronkle Iron- and  _that_  was saying something.

Hiccup's empty stomach clawed desperately for something to eat all of the sudden, but he ignored it. If he wanted to finish this tailfin by tomorrow afternoon, he could have no breaks.

Hiccup panted as he dipped a piece of metal for Toothless's tail fin into a barrel of water, where it began to steam. It was already burning hot in the working forge, and he was afraid he'd faint if he stayed in this kind of heat for too long.

Gobber began to sing another tune, making Hiccup cringe.

_I've blacked a thousand eyes_

_Of a thousand angry gales_

_Watch me knock the cockles off_

_The biggest bluest whales_

_I've given a walrus nightmares_

_Who thought that were strong_

_I've marooned a huge typho-o-on_

_Off an island off Hong Kong_

Gobber's stomach growled, and he laughed patting it. "I'd best be off to supper at the Great Hall," he told Hiccup, placing his sword carefully on the table. He cocked his head, turning to the boy. "You should come, you know. It's not healthy to keep working like this."

Hiccup frowned in disagreement. "No, no, you go ahead. I'm not that hungry, anyway." He prayed to the gods to not look too tired, and Gobber seemed to buy the act.

"Well, all right, but I'm sure your father won't be happy with you skipping meals!" Gobber chuckled as he headed towards the exit of the forge, starting to whistle happily again.

"Yeah, sure… whatever you think…," Hiccup muttered, already getting back to work with Toothless's tail.

It would be a long night.

* * *

A few hours passed, and Gobber didn't return. Hiccup assumed the man had retired to his home, which he was grateful for. The boy wasn't certain how much more of Gobber's singing he could take.

Night soon came, and the village fell silent except for the constant shuffling of feet of Hiccup's, and the occasional murmuring of, "Can you light up the fire again, bud?" Hiccup enjoyed the quietness of working with Toothless at his side. The forge had cooled to an almost pleasant temperature, making it seem all the more welcoming.

Hiccup wiped the thick layer of sweat from his brow, taking a quick swig of his water jug to replenish himself. His face was covered with traces of black soot, and his hands were covered in welts and burns. But it seemed to be normal to the boy as he continued working. Before the Berkians had made peace with the dragons, he had spent most of his time in the forge, and had gotten more than his fair share of sleepless nights and calluses. It wasn't out of the ordinary at all.

As Hiccup worked, he didn't notice the tall, stringy figure standing outside, watching him from the open window. The figure- a man- had a long gray beard, a viking helmet pressed against his skull, and a twisted scowl that would scare off any child within a thirty foot radius.

Mildew had returned.

After clearing his throat, the old man walked over to the door of the forge, which was slightly open. He knocked, and waited for an answer.

Inside, Hiccup heard the knock, and he frowned. It was too late for any of the other Riders to come by, and none of the villagers wouldn't have been here either. Was it Gobber? He gulped. Was it his  _father?_ Having either of the men there wouldn't be good. They'd chide how he was overworking himself and make him go home. But Hiccup wasn't going home tonight. He planned only to work.

"Come in!" the boy said, dropping the piece of metal he was holding on his area of forgery.

The door opened, and in came…

Mildew?

"Oh, hey, Mildew," Hiccup greeted, very surprised to see the man as he wiped grime off from his face. "I haven't seen you in years! So, what have you been up to lately?"

Mildew rolled his eyes, seeming annoyed with Hiccup's harmless question. "Nothing much, except avoiding the village as usual. Ever since the Dagur fiasco and the Whisperin' Deaths, I haven't been welcome over here. I don't know  _why,_  though."

Hiccup crossed his arms with a tired sigh. He still had a buried grudge towards the old man after all these years- and who  _wouldn't?_ Mildew had betrayed him and all of Berk countless times, constantly plotting against them. But, like Dagur, he had changed. Hopefully. Hiccup still didn't know what he was up to.

"So…" Hiccup trailed off, unsure of what to say next. "What brings you here this fine night? If you need any weapons, you'll have to talk with Gobber in the morning. I'm just working on a little something special for Toothless tonight, and won't be much help."

He looked over at his dragon who was lying on the floor, his lips curled at the sight of Mildew. Toothless had never liked that human, as he had tried to banish him a few times before for absurd reasons. And he never forgot that his rider being struck by lightning was all Mildew's fault, either.

Mildew looked around, his eyes full of disdain. "Oh, yes. You're still working here, are you?"

"Not really," Hiccup returned, a little irritated with the man's behavior. "I live at Dragons' Edge, remember?"

Cocking his head, Mildew looked lost. " _Dragons' Edge?"_ he repeated. "Is that somewhere else on Berk?"

Hiccup held back an amused chuckle. Mildew must have not been at the village for quite some time to still not know that the heir of Berk wasn't there. "No, it's just somewhere near the edge of the archipelago… anyways, do you need anything? I'm trying to get Toothless's new tailfin done by tomorrow afternoon, and I need all the time I can get to work."

Mildew started to walk forward, glaring deeply at Hiccup. "No, that isn't the reason,  _boy._ I still haven't forgotten what you did to me. You shamed me in front of the whole village, and now I'm practically an outcast from my own people."

Toothless let out a warning growl, getting to his feet. He sensed trouble.

Hiccup let his arms drops to his sides where his hands balled into fists. "If you remember, Mildew, you  _did_  try to kill us all that one time. Or two times, was it? Now, please, if you don't need anything, I really need to work on this."

Mildew shook his head, a sneer coming on. "Still the same prideful boy as always, aren't you, Hiccup? Well, I've come here on… let's say…  _old business."_ Suddenly, the old man grabbed a bundle of dragon nip grass from his pocket, and shoved it in Toothless's face.

The dragon instantly fell to the floor, groaning with delight.

Hiccup backed away, alarmed. "Mildew, what are you doing?" he asked, eyes widening. His hand went to his side to feel for Inferno, but it wasn't there. He remembered he had taken it off while he was making Toothless's new tailfin, and nearly cursed himself as he looked up at the approaching Mildew. "I don't know what you want, but we can talk about this. Whatever angry feelings you might have towards me, they're not worth giving into. Please."

Smirking, Mildew shook his head. "I don't think so, Hiccup."

With that, he grabbed the boy's left arm with surprising agility, dragged him to the ground, and tossed him to the side-

Right where the flaming fire of the forge was.

Hiccup, yelping, rolled closer and closer to it… and then he fell right on top of the burning embers, where his tunic started to smoke.

At first, Hiccup's eyes only widened in pain, but he miraculously had enough strength to turn his head in Mildew's direction and whisper, "Why…?" Mildew was about to return with a nasty comeback- after all, the boy didn't seem injured as much as he hoped, which meant he could take it-, yet something stopped him.

Because that was when Hiccup started to scream.

He felt that he was burning all over, his back feeling like it was being sliced open by flaming swords… the very flames of hell were eating him alive... no mercy at all for anybody of any status… pain was the only thing that existed… that was truly real...

It was too much to handle. With a gasp, Hiccup clutched at his chest, praying for relief.

And all he knew next was that the blackness had finally come to take him away.


	2. Chapter 2

Stoick knew something was wrong the minute he heard the screams.

He was just about to head up to bed after a long day of chiefing when they suddenly started. His first instinct was to run out the door and see what was the matter, but then he paused. Those screams sounded almost familiar, like a nagging thought at the back of his head. They seemed as if they were- no… they couldn't have been-

"Hiccup," Stoick whispered, stumbling back from the bottom of the stairway. "No… no!"

Panicked, he began to race out the door, his red beard whipping around his head as he ran. The night air was warm and humid, as it was the middle of summer on Berk, but he hardly noticed as he headed down the street. The last place he knew Hiccup had gone to was the forge- Gobber had reluctantly told him over dinner that Hiccup was planning on staying overnight-, and that was where he was going now.

 _Oh, Thor almighty,_ the chief worriedly thought to himself, jogging to the forge.  _Not Hiccup… no… anybody but him... so many things could have happened…_

All of the sudden, the screaming abruptly stopped.

And then there was just… silence.

Stoick paled, and almost quit running. But he soon regained his senses and pushed forward once more.  _The screams ending could have meant anything, Stoick,_ he told himself.  _Hiccup could've stopped yelling because-_

 _Because what?_ a cool voice said in his head.  _He's either unconscious or dead..._

Stoick pushed the thoughts away, and nearly cried in relief when he saw the forge just up ahead. The chief's legs pushed him along faster, making him reach the forge in just moments. He panted as he skid to a stop outside.

"Hiccup!" he yelled, and barged inside the already-open door. "Hiccup?"

That's when he saw his boy.

Hiccup was lying on the still burning embers, appearing to be unconscious as small flames twisted around him. His clothes were singed, almost burnt away, and there were red streaks all over his face and arms.

Then Stoick looked up and saw the very last person he expected to see- Mildew.

Without another thought about just why the man was there, the chief leapt forward and dragged Hiccup off the embers, his eyes prominent with fear for his son's safety. He clutched his smoking son, and he stood up warily.

Turning his head over to Mildew, he saw that the old man was backing away. Stoick narrowed his eyes in fury. "You!" he roared, charging up Mildew with Hiccup and his arms. "I banished you to Outcast Island! You shouldn't be here! You… you did this to Hiccup?  _To my son?!"_ He was beyond angry, and grabbed Mildew by the scruff of his shirt with his free hand.

To his surprise, Mildew fought back against Stoick and succeeded in pulling free. The chief suddenly noticed a few muscles rippling down the old man's arms, and realized that Mildew was stronger than he had been before. His stay at Outcast Island must have toughened him up. "I snuck on Berk with a ship, obviously," Mildew scowled, grabbing his cane that was leaning against the wall. "Your boy, though, believed me when I told him you still let me live here."

Stoick's eyes filled with rage, and he held Hiccup protectively. The boy was burning hot all over- he needed medical attention now. But Stoick couldn't very well let Mildew escape… not when he had hurt Hiccup.

Almost without thinking, Stoick raised his fist and slammed it into Mildew's jaw, knocking the other man backwards. Mildew yelped, and clutched at his mouth. "U'll pay fror 'is, Sthoick!" he cried, trying to sound menacing.

It didn't work, and the chief glared in reply. "I'll be back for you later, Mildew!" he growled. "And then you'll really get a piece of me!" He raised his right arm, and hit Mildew over the head.

The old man crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

"That felt good," Stoick muttered, his shoulders straightening. He lowered his arm so that he was fully supporting Hiccup, and looked down at the boy with worry. Hiccup was groaning now, obviously in pain from all the burns he had gotten. Stoick felt his heart thud even quicker in his chest. His son was in pain, and he couldn't do anything about it…

"Gothi," he murmured, staring to leave the forge, "I have to go to Gothi."

Being the main healer of the village, she would know what to do in such a precarious situation. So, Stoick held the moaning Hiccup tighter and ran down the road, calling for Gothi. He felt anxious as he ran, and looked up at the healer's hut at the top of a hill. Would she be able to help? Or would Hiccup finally run out of luck?

He swallowed, fearing for his son's life.

Because if Gothi didn't know what to do… then who would?

* * *

"Oh, gods… Hiccup…" Astrid looked over at the boy who was lying on Gothi's medical bed, unmoving. Just the sight of Hiccup made her wince yet again. Painful burn marks traveled down both of his arms, legs, left cheek, and tufts of his auburn hair had been completely singed away.

It had only been a few minutes ago that she was notified of the  _incident_ … she shivered as that horrible feeling rushed through her. The words  _Hiccup_ and  _accident_ did not mix well here on Berk. Not at all.

The other Riders were there too, of course, all worried. Even the twins and Snotlout understood just how serious the situation was. They all stood in the corner of the room with solemn expressions.

Stoick wasn't taking Hiccup's condition too well either. He figured he had long worn out Gothi's floor by his pacing, and couldn't stop staring at Hiccup. The chief felt that if he arrived at the scene earlier, he could've saved his boy from all this pain… if only Gobber hadn't convinced him to let Hiccup be for the night, he could have made Hiccup return home, and Mildew wouldn't have hurt him...

The chief darkened, and stopped his pacing.  _Mildew._ The man who attacked his son and threw him onto the flaming embers. The man who just stood and watched as Hiccup nearly burned to death. The man who he had banished to Outcast Island, but came back anyways.

_Mildew._

"Chief," Astrid said from the other side of the room. "I think Gothi wants to tell you something."

Stoick looked up, his brow furrowed. He turned his head to Gothi, who was trying to get his attention by waving her cane near the side of his face. The old woman lowered it when he noticed her, and began to write in the sand.

Gobber stepped up, eyes full of regret as he glanced over at Hiccup. He cleared his throat and began to read Gothi's words in the sand. "She says… Hiccup will most likely make it. But the fiddle has damaged-" He stopped when Gothi wacked him with her cane. "Fire! Not fiddle… eh… the  _fire_ has damaged Hiccup's skin, and he's…" Gobber paused, as if unable to go on. "And he's… at risk of getting a bad infection… even if we try, we might not be able to prevent it."

There was a thick silence, and Astrid held in a gasp. No… she couldn't lose Hiccup… it was impossible. He'd always survive, enduring all those different battles and injuries. Nothing too bad could happen to him in the end… right?

"Well, what  _can_ we do?" Stoick spoke up, determined. "I'm not going to stand by and watch my son suffer!"

Gothi frowned, and started to draw in the sand again with her staff. Gobber read it aloud: "She says we have to… to keep Hiccup in a clean environment. Wash his burns twice an hour, and keep a close eye on him to see if he gets any worse. If he does, that could be the first sign of infection."

Astrid looked down at the floor. She was trying so hard to keep a straight expression, but it was getting harder by the second. Hiccup might be dying, and she was powerless against it. She couldn't do anything. For once, her axe couldn't fix this problem.  _Gods, Hiccup… you better survive so I can kill you for making me go through this,_ she thought with a grimace.

"Dad…" Hiccup slurred, letting out a moan from his bed. "T-Toothless…" He paused, almost as if taking in a breath. "A-A-Astrid…"

Toothless's head shot up from his place beside Hiccup's bed, and he nudged his rider's leg. Stoick also slowly walked over, patting his son's hand with a calm whisper, "It's alright, lad… you're going to be fine…" And Astrid… she found herself rushing over and hugging Hiccup despite the fact that he was mostly unconscious.

"You have to live, Hiccup," she whispered into his ear, feeling his tussled hair brush her cheek like soft fingers comforting her in the midst of the situation. "I can't imagine in a world without you in it..."

Hiccup did not reply, but Astrid almost sensed him relaxing in her grip. And maybe, if she listened closely, he moaned a little less than before. She pulled away, struggling to get ahold of her feelings. Stoick sent her a knowledgeable look before glancing back down at his son, and gave a stressed sigh.  _Oh, Hiccup…_

Gothi lowered her cane, and shrugged over at Gobber before waddling away to the other side of the room, getting the medical supplies ready. The Riders' faces were full of concern, Toothless whined every few seconds, and Stoick looked heartbroken.

They couldn't do anything for Hiccup at this point. His fate rested only with the gods.

All they could do now was wait and hope for the best.

* * *

The next few days were agony for all of Berk.

Hiccup suffered from slight fevers, extreme pains from his burns, and that's when the nightmares came. Stoick barely got any sleep, as he was the only one who could calm the boy down during them. Hiccup would shriek and roll about in bed, endangering himself of causing more injury.

Gothi disapproved of Hiccup moving at all. It would just increase the risk of infection, so Stoick was forced to step up.

And as for Mildew… the Berkians didn't take too kindly of the man that tried to kill the young heir. They locked him in their smallest prison cell in the caves beneath Berk, where he was restricted to only two meals a day. Stoick hadn't confronted the old man again since he had punched him, but he was already looking forward to it. If a person as strong as Mildew was could throw Hiccup to the fire, then he could surely handle a few more punches here and there.

The chief yawned from his spot next to Hiccup. It was just turning dawn, and he was exhausted. Hiccup's nightmares had been terrible from the night before- Stoick couldn't even imagine what they were about. The boy had gone through far too much for his young age of nineteen… no one should have been able to go through all that in their whole life.

"Dad…" Hiccup moaned from his bed. "D-Dad…"

Stoick abruptly looked up at Hiccup, his heart pounding. He gripped at his son's pale hands, and his face paled. "I-I'm right here, Hiccup… I'm right here..." A tear slid down his cheek, making Stoick nearly curse. Vikings didn't cry… and certainly not chiefs.

Hiccup's eyelids were flickering, but he couldn't yet open them. "W-what happened…?" He grimaced. "My back… it feels-"

"Burned," Stoick interrupted, swallowing. "Yes, Hiccup. D-do you remember Mildew coming inside the forge and tossing you into the fire?"

Hiccup frowned. "I-I…" He yelped, a wave of pain shooting through him.

Stoick gripped the boy's hands tighter, feeling anxiety rush through him. His usual stoic expression was now full of fear, and he was sweating all over. "Son… I-I'm so sorry… I could have pr-prevented all of this… oh, Hiccup…" He bowed his head. "I've failed as a father to you."

"D-dad," Hiccup croaked. He finally got his eyelids to open, revealing two shining green orbs. "Y-you… saved me in the end… right? You-you've saved m-me so many times… I can't… thank you enough... thank you, Dad… I-I-I could never l-live up to y-you…"

Stoick's eyes filled with tears; not just at the pain his boy was going through, but also because of what he believed. "Hiccup, you never need to live up to me," the chief whispered. "You've already passed me in your accomplishments… you've done more things than I have in a lifetime…"

Hiccup smiled weakly. "Th-thanks, Dad."

"Of course, lad. It's the truth."

There was a silence, and Hiccup's eyelids dropped. "'M tired, Dad…" he muttered, fighting to stay awake. "But I don't w-want to fall a-asleep… my dreams are…" A shivering fit overtook him, and he found it hard to think straight through the fear.

Stoick patted Hiccup's arm. "Shh, shh… it's alright… I'll be here the whole time while you sleep if you need me."

The boy looked up at him, almost seeming like a child again with his bright, innocent eyes. "Really?"

"Yes. I promise." Stoick straightened, a sense of protectiveness filling him. He wouldn't let anything else happen to Hiccup… not while he was on watch. "You go to sleep now, son. Get better soon." And, before his heart broke even more, he looked away.

But he still held Hiccup's hand in his.

Smiling, Hiccup allowed himself to relax as he fell into yet another slumber. He didn't know if he'd be plagued with more nightmares, or have searing pains trailing down his back, face, and arms again. One thing was for certain, though. His father would be by his side no matter what, and he wasn't going away anytime soon.

* * *

Another few days passed, and Hiccup… he was finally in the clear zone. There was no risk of infection anymore, as the skin which he required had mostly grown back.

Berk couldn't have been more relieved. Everyone in the entire village had visited Hiccup at least once, occasionally bringing a trinket of appreciation to the boy. The Riders were overjoyed with knowing that he would make a full recovery, and Stoick spent nearly every free moment with his son.

Hiccup was getting stronger by the day, and could even manage to sit up in bed without causing too much pain. Sure, the burn marks still hurt when he moved, and snippets of nightmares would always haunt his mind, but he was safe. Mildew was locked away, and Berk, for now, was at peace.

But Hiccup couldn't forget one thing during his recovery, though. His father almost never left his side, and was more supportive than he had ever been before. The boy wasn't sure if he could have made it if it wasn't for his dad. He had given him something to live for.

It seemed that every time he went to sleep at night, every time he had a nightmare or was going through terrible pains with all the burn marks on his body, his father was always right there to help him.

And Hiccup… well, he truly couldn't have been any happier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the bit of an abrupt ending- I'm not the best at ending things. :D XD Hope you all enjoyed this two-shot, and see you at the next story!


End file.
